The round-up of key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) notes from Sunday’s Gameweek 16 matches ends with Fulham v West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United
The numbers and graphics you see in this article come from our Premium Members Area. Here, you can access Opta player and team data from every single Premier League fixture.
- READ MORE: FPL notes – Fernandes, Luiz + others handed Gameweek 17 bans
- READ MORE: FPL notes – Budget goalkeepers + Palace injury-hit for City
- READ MORE: FPL notes – Haaland, Sanchez, James injured + Chelsea rotation
TRIPPIER SUSPENSION
72 hours after a miserable 3-0 defeat at Newcastle, there was another out-of-character performance from a side that did the double over Spurs last season – including the 6-1 hammering at St James’ Park.
This time it was a selection of individuals who, quite frankly, looked exhausted by kick-off. Eddie Howe had to pick the same outfield 10 for a fifth consecutive match and they were never really competitive. In a clash between a team that was winless in five and another who can’t win away from home, it ended with an easy 4-1 Spurs victory.
To make matters worse for the many Kieran Trippier (£7.0m) FPL owners, he was booked for the fifth time this season and will miss Gameweek 17 at home to Fulham. A rest is probably needed anyway, as his two midweek errors at Goodison Park quickly led to another off-day, given a torrid time by Son Heung-min (£9.5m).
SON EXPLOSIVE ON THE LEFT
When Ange Postecoglou named Richarlison (£6.6m) as centre-forward in this line-up, Son owners may have been slightly concerned that their previously out-of-position asset was going to be less threatening.
No need to worry. He shrugged off the yellow flag that followed Thursday night’s limping to provide two assists and score a penalty. These 17 points form Son’s sixth double-digit haul so far – the league’s most, alongside Mohamed Salah (£13.1m).
Interestingly, not only was this his season’s joint-best for chances created (four) but he bettered the other 15 outings for penalty area touches (11) and expected goal involvement (xGI, 1.41), which you can see above. This even includes his Gameweek 4 hat-trick at Burnley.
Son overtakes Erling Haaland (£14.0m) in having the second-highest points tally, causing regret for the 348,000 who’d just sold him.
DARE WE GO NEAR RICHARLISON?
Once Harry Kane departed for Bayern Munich, some managers used encouraging pre-season words from Postecoglou as a reason to begin with Richarlison. It was a logical punt, seen as Spurs hadn’t yet bought a replacement and the Brazilian offered his own out-of-position potential.
However, he’d already lost his starting spot by Gameweek 4 and new signing Brennan Johnson (£5.8m) added an extra body.
This was Richarlison’s first league start since Gameweek 10 and it ended with two goals, 15 points and confidence restored. With a run of encouraging fixtures on the way, could non-Son owners cover him with this differential ‘midfield’ team-mate?
WILSON BACK FOR NEWCASTLE
Two recent Alexander Isak (£7.6m) price rises indicate a popularity that’s set to reverse, now that Callum Wilson (£7.8m) is back from a hamstring issue. The latter’s cameo brought an assist for Joelinton‘s (£5.8m) consolation.
After a devastating, season-defining rush of injuries and long-term bans has lowered optimism and expectations, seeing both Wilson and Sean Longstaff (£4.9m) back in action offers a glimmer of hope for the Magpies.
Sven Botman (£4.5m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.2m) are rumoured to be next on the recovery list, putting slight doubts over the festive minutes of Jamaal Lascelles (£4.2m) and Anthony Gordon (£6.2m). The former picked up a yellow card here, ending on negative points. Cheap goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (£4.1m) started but again looked poor.
Meanwhile, Gordon blanked for the seventh of eight away games. Yet it could have been very different, had he played a better ball across goal for an early Isak tap-in.
ANOTHER PORRO ASSIST
Spurs right-back Pedro Porro (£5.4m) is on four assists from five matches, after setting up Richarlison’s second. With not many defenders currently being trusted, the Spaniard offers an incredible ability to get forward and provide attacking returns – whether it be by set-pieces, crosses or shots.
His three chances created and three shots weren’t quite as good as Thursday night against West Ham – five of each – but Porro has established himself as the leading FPL defender for goal attempts (26). Expect Porro to continue being a popular replacement for Matty Cash (£4.8m).
What holds him back is Spurs’ inability to keep clean sheets. It’s a streak that has reached seven games, somehow conceding 1.69 expected goals (xGC) to a tired Newcastle. At least left-back Destiny Udogie (£4.8m) did well for his owners, outdoing Porro by netting the opener.
MORE JOY FOR JIMENEZ
Elsewhere, Fulham have followed the disappointment of losing 4-3 at Liverpool by winning back-to-back home games 5-0. Those with Newcastle defenders won’t be feeling too confident anymore. Cheap forward Raul Jimenez (£5.2m) is back amongst the goals, scoring three of these Fulham 10.
Manchester City’s injured star Haaland could be set to miss a couple of Gameweeks and owners have several options. Either sell the Norwegian temporarily or have enough money to slightly upgrade a usually-benched eighth attacker. This is where Jimenez could step in.
Those with Cameron Archer (£4.6m), for example, could use Jimenez’s attractive fixtures to cover Blank Gameweek 18, shock rotations and the weeks where popular names are off to either AFCON or the Asian Cup.
61,000 have already bought the Mexican ahead of Gameweek 17.
BOWEN BLANK + NO AREOLA
Part of West Ham’s collapse at Fulham can be explained by a sickness bug that spread throughout players and staff beforehand – including some who were on the pitch.
“We’ve had quite a bit of illness in the camp over the last few days and that’s not helped.” – David Moyes
But the Cottagers showed no sympathy, forcing blanks from the likes of Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) and James Ward-Prowse (£6.1m).
Bowen was brought in by many to replace the injured Bryan Mbeumo (£6.9m), knowing he’d scored in seven successive Premier League away trips. Chasing Robin van Persie’s record of nine, he racked up four attempts at Fulham – with three on target – as well as setting up a good chance for Said Benrahma (£5.6m), for an xGI of 0.99.
Yet his streak is over, allowing Bernd Leno (£4.7m) to keep a clean sheet. Sticking with goalkeepers, West Ham’s Alphonse Areola (£4.3m) was again absent with a wrist injury. No post-match updates were provided by David Moyes, so his recovery time remains unknown.
